Bacon Cheddar Ranch Fries

Bacon Cheddar Ranch Fries. Get excited.

A billion years ago when I lived in Arizona there was this drive thru that we would frequent on a weekly basis to get our fix of Ranch Fries!! They’d hand you these crinkle cut fries LOADED with Ranch dressing and we’d inhale on our way to and from tennis, it was basically a recipe for success. I haven’t been back to Tucson in years so when I had a craving for these bad boys, I decided to make them myself, up the ante, and really pull out all the tops. So Bacon Cheddar Ranch Fries were born.

These are beyond. The perfect sheet pan meal or snack to serve a crowd. Freshly made french fries loaded with your favorite melted cheese, plenty of bacon, some green onions for a little pop of freshness and the most important ingredient Hidden Valley® Simply Ranch.

Peel and slice the potatoes into matchstick sized fries. Keep the potatoes in a large bowl of water while you continue to cut the remaining fries to prevent them from browning. After peeling and slicing potatoes, place the potatoes and vinegar in a large stock pot and add 2 quarts of water and 2 tablespoons of kosher salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 8 minutes until the potatoes are tender, but not falling apart. Drain and spread the potatoes on paper towel-lined baking sheet and allow to dry for at least 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in large Dutch oven to 400°F.

Add a handful of the fries to oil, making sure the oil temperature does not drop lower than 350 degrees. Cook for 60-90 seconds, stirring occasionally with wire mesh spider strainer. After 60-90 seconds, remove them to another paper-towel lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining potatoes, allowing oil to return to 400°F after each addition.

Once you've fried the potatoes the first time, allow them to cool to room temperature for about 30 minutes.

Return oil to 375°F/ high heat. Fry the potatoes a second time in batches until crisp and light golden brown, about 2-3 minutes for each batch, adjusting the heat as needed to keep a consistent temperature. Once crisp. remove the fries with a wire mesh strainer and transfer to a bowl lined with paper towels and season immediately with garlic powder, chipotle powder and salt.

Transfer to a oven proof baking dish or sheet pan and sprinkle with the shredded cheeses, bacon and transfer back into the oven for 5-8 minutes until melted. Remove and top with chives. Serve immediately with Hidden Valley Simply Ranch drizzled on top.

And if you want to save $0.75 on any bottle of Hidden Valley Simply Ranch Dressing grab the coupon here – it’s available at Walmart as are the rest of these ingredients so you can whip up a crazy delish recipe in no time!!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Hidden Valley® Ranch. The opinions and text are all mine.